Early one morning in October 1969, outside the Oratorio of San Lorenzo
in Palermo, Sicily, the chapel's caretaker watched in bewilderment as a
cat scuttled into the sanctuary through a wide-open door. The building
should have been secured against felines, and thieves as well. During
the previous night, however, intruders had forced a shutter of one of
the chapel windows. Once inside, they cut away the altarpiece
with a razor blade and marched out the front door with their prize:
an 8-ft. by 7-ft....